The Sparrow Girl
by FemaleOfTheSpecies
Summary: Cutler Beckett discovers the family secret that might just be Jack's ultimate weakness but she surprises him at every turn.
1. Chapter 1: Cutler Meets Maris

**A/n:** This is a rewrite of a very old fic so you may have seen the title before, but the chapters have changed so I encourage you to reread. I will update as regularly as I can. The name Maris means 'star of the sea' which seems fitting.

* * *

There is nothing romantic about a mysterious man dragging your from your bed in the middle of the night. Countless novels would suggest otherwise but Maris knew the cold, hard truth.

The man had slipped into her room as she slept and knocked her out with what she could only presume was ether on a rag. She had regained consciousness to find her hands bound behind her back. There was a strip of cloth covering her eyes and in her panic, she hadn't been able to catch her breath.

It was clear that she was in the back of some kind of carriage as it was bustling around as it traveled along bumpy roads. On one occasion she slipped from her seat and her knees collided with her kidnapper's legs. He'd grabbed her upper arm roughly to shove her back onto her seat but Maris twisted away from him but rather than letting her go he simply took the back of his hand to her face.

'Don't try anything daft, lass' he'd hissed before pushing her back into her seat.

She had remained quiet and still then. She knew enough about men who kidnapped women to not ignore his warning. She'd heard stories and she had a bad feeling she was about to become another one of them. Just another statistic.

They'd ended up on a ship - it bobbed under foot as she stumbled, blindfolded, into the belly of it. Her captor had led her, his hand painfully gripping her upper arm, but Maris had taken so long to move that the man had taken to almost dragging her along behind him. They came to stop after a matter of minutes and he unlocked a door and she was roughly pushed inside a small room within which she remained for what seemed hours.

Maris didn't like ships. They brought back horrible memories. Nothing good had ever come of being on a ship for her. She couldn't help but tremble while waiting for whatever conclusion her ordeal might bring.

Maris didn't cry often. As a child, she was taught that it showed weakness. But her desperate situation was an exception to normality. She didn't know who had snatched her as she slept, or indeed why. She had no idea where she was or if the others at home even knew she was missing. Her situation petrified her as she knew it was rarely that situations like the one she was in ended well.

That's why Lord Beckett found her slumped in the corner of the storage room with tears running down her face. They pooled together around her chin and dripped onto her nightdress. She was oblivious to his presence as he stood there looking down at her at his feet.

If his informant was correct about her identity it could be an enormous victory for him. He didn't want to get carried away, though. She didn't _look_ like one of them as she sat there in her plain nightdress but there was only one way to find out for sure. He crouched until he was level with her, noticing that strands of her dark hair were sticking to her cheeks. He reached forwards and pulled the fabric away from her eyes, letting it hang loosely around her neck.

She flinched away from him. Her back collided with the crates stacked in the corner behind her which caused them to wobble. Cutler threw his hand up behind her head to stop them from crashing down upon them.

'Careful' he chided as she squinted up at him with fear written across her face. The harsh light from the lantern in his hand was hurting her eyes. She blinked a few times before she was able to focus on him and they stared at one another in a silence.

He was searching for some familiarity to jump out at him and he realised after a moment that it was her eyes. They were the colour of chocolate. It was in that instance that he knew.

"Hmm… well, you certainly have your brother's eyes."

The tense silence that had filled the room between them disappeared with his remark.

"My brother has his own eyes" she whispered her curt response, unable to make her voice any louder.

Cutler smirked, amused by her comment. It was clear that she was petrified and yet there was defiance in her words. He could admire that.

"You do not deny that you are Maris Sparrow?"

"Maris Teague" she corrected, a brief look of worry passing over her face. His stomach fluttered as the possibilities danced through his mind.

"How delightful" he whispered, an unintended menacing tone to his voice. She was his now and Sparrow would be at his mercy. The battle would be won.

Cutler realised he was eyeing her as though she were a new sword. It was unbecoming of a gentleman so he reached to place the material across her eyes but Maris dodged his hands.

"Where am I?" she demanded from him, her voice cracking as she tried to speak with some authority, "Who are you?"

Cutler opened his mouth to respond but the door to the room opened and Mercer interrupted him.

"Lord Beckett, they're ready for you, sir" he called, holding the door open behind him.

Maris's eyes widened as she recognised his voice, Cutler noted.

"Very good" he replied to his assistant. He turned to look back at Maris who was still looking past him at Mercer with fear and confusion evident on her face.

"Miss Teague, to answer your questions - you are aboard HMS Endeavour and I am Lord Beckett. We have brought you aboard to assist with our negotiations with the pirate lords."

"The... the pirate lords?" Her eyes snapped back to his face and there was real fear in her voice and it threw Cutler slightly.

"Please don't take me to them" she pleaded, "You are making a mistake, they-"

He silenced her protest by placing the cloth in her mouth instead of over her eyes. It didn't stop her pleading at him with those dark eyes; _you're making a mistake..._

He banished the nugget of doubt she has produced from his head as he made his way across the room towards Mercer. He turned to look at his assistant whom he noticed was eyeing the girl with a mixture of disgust and amusement.

"Mr Mercer, show Miss Teague to my office. There is much to discuss once I have finished addressing the officers."

Mercer nodded affirmation, not removing his eyes from the girl who was staring right back at him.

"Good man. Oh-" Beckett paused once more and turned to look at the other man who glanced back at his master.

"Be sure to do it without hitting her this time, yes?"

* * *

Maris could not fathom how Lord Beckett had discovered her identity and location. She had been so careful since she had fled Shipwreck. So few people knew her real name and Maris couldn't believe that any of them would pass her over to Beckett. Unless, of course, she was an awful judge of character.

 _'You can't trust those who don't owe you something, or those that do'_ Jack had once told her and perhaps he was right. Perhaps she had been worth more to someone as a reward than she had been worth as a friend or colleague?

And now she was to be _used in negotiations_ with Pirate Lords. Of all the people on the planet that she would rather not get involved with, they were at the top of the list. Whoever had tipped Beckett off couldn't have known the full story. That ruled out Doctor Moore and Mrs Moore, at least. That made her feel a bit better but it didn't help in the slightest with her current predicament.

She was tied to a chair and had little choice but to watch Lord Beckett as he read papers on his desk and wrote a letter. He was making a point of pretending she wasn't there.

She glanced down at her nightdress, spoiled from the journey. Torn and muddy, just like the skin on her feet. She longed for a bath but knew it was something that she might never have again. That should have made her feel sad but instead, emptiness welled up inside her. It made her want to cry out but she suspected that if she were to vocalise how she felt it would have pleased Lord Beckett.

She did _not_ want to please him.

Beckett eventually placed the quill down on the desk and leaned back in his chair. He observed her over steeped fingers and she returned his stare.

"There is one thing that puzzles me about you." He spoke in a casual voice after a considerable silence, as though they were friends at lunch.

"Just the one?"

Beckett raised an eyebrow at her tone with the hint of a smile playing around his mouth.

"Why were you hiding under a false name?"

He wouldn't stop staring.

"I was not hiding. I had started a new life-"

"-Oh come now, Miss Teague, you were hiding. I cannot help but wonder why your father would not keep his daughter in the safety of Shipwreck cove?"

"You know of Shipwreck?"

The surprise in her tone caused a smug expression to spread across Beckett's face.

"There is a lot I know about your family that might surprise you" he replied, tidying papers on his desk. Maris cocked her head.

"Not everything, though... or you would know my father believes that I am dead."

Cutler stared at the woman, all hints of a smile leaving his face. She stared back, her face just as blank. She was lying of course. Or, if not, she was spelling out the flaw in his plan that he hadn't considered. Could Teague think his daughter dead?

"Why?"

The tension in the room was noticeable as Beckett hung off of her every move, her every unspoken word. Maris inhaled until her lungs were full; she cast her eyes down to her feet.

"Perhaps if you were to untie my hands I could explain?"

Beckett laughed,

"You're a Teague. I have learned not to trust your family."

Maris raised an eyebrow at that.

"I suppose that's wise…" she said after considering his statement for a second or two. "My brother taught me to never submit without negotiation, that's all."

"I am _not_ untying your hands."

"Well, when I was Sixteen my father lashed out at me in a fit of anger and caught my throat with his sword. They took me to a doctor and my father was led to believe that I had not survived so that I might escape him."

The silence grew heavy and when Cutler did not respond Maris continued.

"I was going to show you the scar on my neck as evidence." She raised her chin still, attempting the expose her throat to prove that she was telling the truth.

Beckett sat forward and gazed at her exposed neck but he couldn't make out any scars.

"I don't see anything" he was sceptical.

Maris lowered her head back down and a brief smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Take a closer look..." she suggested but the sceptical expression remained on Cutler's face.

"You should not let all of us Teague's scare you so much-"

"-You don't scare me" he spat out but Maris simply shrugged her shoulder at him.

Cutler studied her face as she stared back at him, not quite knowing what to make of her. Maris seemed harmless but there was something about her he couldn't quite put his finger on. She was feisty and as intelligent as her brother but Cutler didn't trust her. Not with the blood she had running through her veins. He stood from his chair regardless and moved around the desk towards her both out of curiosity and to show her that she didn't intimidate him.

He came to a stop in front of the woman with his desk now standing behind him. Maris gazed up at him, unsure what to say or do now that he was so close. Without warning, Lord Beckett reached forwards and took hold of her chin. He tilted her head backward to reveal the scars. She noticed how soft his hands were. She had expected calluses, perhaps.

Her throat was pale and flawless except for puckered scarring which sat to the right of her throat and ran around her neck across the shoulder currently hidden by her nightdress. The scars were pale and white but at one time they had been a serious wound. Somebody had slashed at her neck with a blade from right to the left.

"Jack stopped him before he could do any permanent damage" she whispered. She pulled her face away from his hand.

Beckett stood still as he stared down at her. His relationship with his own father had been an emotionless one. But even so, he couldn't imagine a father lashing out at his own child with a sword.

"That's why you were hiding?"

Maris's head snapped back up to look Cutler in the eye, "I wasn't hiding. I was creating a new life. Jack took me to a nurse who knew Doctor Moore after it happened. He helped me recover and took me under his wing."

There was a silence. An awful, tense silence. Lord Beckett towered over Maris, inches away from her face.

"You understand why your negotiations will fail now, surely?" she asked, not daring to blink as his eyes bored into hers as though searching them for a lie.

"Why would he try to kill his own daughter?"

"Your plan won't work. You've stolen me away from my home for nothing" Maris's voice was getting louder. She was angry with him.

"Why did he try to kill you?" Beckett insisted, furrowing his brow.

"Did you hear what I said? We're all going to die and it's your doing!" Maris shouted.

In one swift movement, Beckett had closed the space between them, a hand either side of Maris on the arms of the chair. She leaned backward instinctively but there were mere centimetres between them.

"Miss Teague, do not underestimate me." He spoke slowly and although his voice was soft it was firm.

"Your father and his intention to kill you will not stop me from destroying the pirate lords. I have the Dead Man's Chest. I command these seas and I will destroy all pirates. Every single one of them! Now, answer my question."

The look in his eyes and the steel edge to his voice scared Maris. She turned her head and stared at the floor but Lord Beckett grasped her jaw and chin in his palm and forced her to look at him.

"Tell me," he whispered. There followed a pause and Maris realised that it didn't really matter if he knew the truth. If anything it might make him see that his plan to use her as a means to negotiate wasn't as strong as he had originally believed.

"I betrayed him and he couldn't find it in himself to forgive me."

Cutler did not move and Maris wondered if he was going to hurt her. The intensity of his gaze made it unreadable.

"I tried to leave. I hated what they did... just the way they lived was so..." she paused, her breath shuddering as she released it.

"When he found out that I had run away he locked me up to ensure I couldn't try again, but I did and he caught me and..." she stopped, finding that she was unable to go on.

Her bottom lip was wobbling. She felt like a tiny, little child under the gaze of this powerful man. Beckett still didn't move or break his stare. His breath tickled her chin and for the first time, she felt scared of him. He was shorter than a lot of men and yet there was something about him that screamed of power.

He surprised Maris by suddenly untying the rope binding her hands to the left arm of the chair. Her hands were still tied together but she wasn't trapped now. She looked up at Cutler as he shifted from his imposing position over her. He chose instead lean on the desk behind him and tilted his head back to look at the ceiling. He then glanced down at her with his chin tilted up somewhat.

"Your father…" he paused for effect, "is a lunatic".

Maris bit her lip at his comment.

"Maybe he is" she replied, "but he's also one of the most feared pirates on the seas. He will kill me, his own flesh and blood. Then without a pause, he will kill you and he will cut down every man in your Armada if he stands with the other Pirate Lords."

Beckett had an unreadable look on his face as his eyes raked over her face and then the rest of her before coming to rest on her scarred shoulder.

"Not if I kill them first, Maris."


	2. Chapter 2: Time For Negotiations

For days the atmosphere aboard The Endeavour had been lively. It was clear that they were preparing for something on deck – something big. They were preparing for a battle. The biggest battle any of them would ever see.

Maris was a prisoner in Beckett's office with her left wrist tied to the leg of his writing desk via a long length of rope. It afforded her the ability to move, stand up, and walk around a little. They'd found her a plain green dress to wear instead of her grubby nightgown. She didn't want to think where the dress had come from. The thin summer fabric flared out from her hips slightly but looked odd with just her bruised feet sticking out from beneath it. There were no shoes that would fit. It all felt comical. Here she was, tied to the desk of one of the most powerful men in the world, dressed up like a doll and to top it off he was leading her and a ship full of men to a gruesome death.

She'd hoped the revelation about her family would persuade him to take alternate action. It frustrated her that he still felt there was justification in his current plans. So sure was he that her father would lead a surrender that he ignored her protests.

It wasn't that Maris cared about Lord Beckett - he'd had her kidnapped, after all, but there was no ignoring the injustice in those sailors going to their death at the word of that man. A man too proud to know when he was wrong - just to think of it made her feel sick.

It was on the afternoon of her fifth day of captivity when Beckett entered the office to reveal the final plans to her. Maris had been walking around the office at an idle pace. Backwards and forwards, corner to corner but when he entered the room she stilled and watched as he removed the hat from his head. He rested it on his desk before turning to face her.

"I've come to inform you that it is time for your role in our negotiations with the brethren."

"I see" she responded, unsure of what she should say. Her fingers idly played with the knotted rope that held her in place.

It was fair to say that she had given up any hope of escaping the ship. She was fed in his office and the only time she was allowed to leave was to sleep or use the bathroom and even then she was guarded at all times by a sailor outside of the door. She'd realised that the best she could hope for was a quick and painless death. Her response surprised Beckett. He had expected more curiosity from her.

"Do you not care to know what is to happen to you?"

"I only hope that it will not hurt and will be quick" she replied immediately.

A sly smile crept onto Beckett's face at her morbid response; he found it amusing that she was so sure she was to die. She did not know how valuable she was to him.

"I can assure you that you will not die. You're to come with me to meet with the pirate king. There is a parlay during which we will discuss the oncoming battle. I will use you to negotiate their surrender."

Her brow has creased, "but why do you think the pirate king would want to spare my life? I am nothing to the k-"

"-but you are something to your brother, and I believe he will convince their king to spare you. To save his own flesh and blood…"

"No pirate king elected would ever surrender battle with the likes of you. No matter how large your armada and no matter how convincing my brother is."

Beckett had closed the distance between them as she spoke. She turned to move away from him but Cutler grabbed the hand that connected her to his desk. He pulled her towards him and began to work on the knots that kept her captive.

"I have the Flying Dutchman under my control, and with this Armada, they will not stand a hope in hell. It will surely be a desperate battle for them."

Maris watched him as his fingers made light work of the rope.

"The pirate lords are at their most dangerous when they are at their most desperate" she pointed out, "you are backing them into a corner and you do not want to be around when they force themselves out of it. They'll have everything to fight for and you believe that you can offer me up as a white flag for them to use for their surrender?"

Beckett paused and glanced up at her, an eyebrow raised "you know this to be correct, Maris" he replied patiently, his voice almost a whisper.

"You're mad" she exclaimed staring at the top of his head as he continued to release her. "It has gone way beyond surrender. They don't know the meaning of it."

The rope fell to the floor and Beckett caught hold of her hand again before she could step away from him. It could almost have been a caring gesture if she'd known no better. Their eyes met, his gaze was confident and hers was questioning.

"When I release you it would be unwise of you to try and escape."

There was no threat in his voice; he sounded sincere which caused Maris to narrow her eyes.

"We're going to die, why shouldn't I run outside and throw myself into the wretched ocean?"

Beckett swallowed, his eyes glancing down at her arm.

"On deck at this moment is Davy Jones, a… man your brother owes a serious debt. He knows you are here and who you are and I believe- no..."

Beckett paused and observed her reaction. The colour had drained from her face and he knew he had her.

"...I am certain that if you were to run out there he would take great delight in seeking out his revenge on you for that debt, Maris. On my word, he has promised not to harm you – but you are to stay with me at all times to ensure your safety. Do you understand?"

Maris nodded and watched as he moved across the room to his desk and carefully put his hat back on before moving towards the door. He paused there and looked back towards her, offering her his elbow like some sort of gentleman. Maris hesitated before walking across the room and linking her arm through his. She figured that if Cutler Beckett was her best chance against Davy Jones she'd best play along.

"I won't allow you to come to any harm" he assured her as they moved out onto the deck. They crossed the ship towards a small group of men who were preparing one of the smaller boats. Maris could feel eyes upon her as the rest of the crew went about their business and she didn't like it.

"How noble of you to save me from the danger you put me in" she sighed as she took a moment to appreciate the breeze on her face. They stopped walking as they reached the boat and Maris took the chance to close her eyes and tilt her face to the sun. She hadn't been outside in days. When she opened her eyes again Lord Beckett was frowning at her. He then offered a hand to help her climb into the boat that was to take them to meet the pirate king.

There was a younger man with long dark hair in the boat already when they reached it. He stared at Maris as though she had two heads. Sitting next to him was a creature that made her blood run cold.

Lord Beckett had not been lying.

Davy Jones looked up at their approach and their eyes met for a brief moment before Maris looked away in fear.

"She doesn't look like Sparrow t'me" Jones growled. Beckett guided her onto one of the wooden benches with some force before he answered.

"Actually, she has her brother's eyes..." Beckett commented, distracted, as Maris gripped the sleeve of his jacket, her eyes trained on Jones wide with pure fear.


	3. Chapter 3: The Meeting

It was a mystery how the split of sand had come to exist there in the ocean in the first place. But it was here that Maris realised her fate rested. The small boat soon drew close to the bank and Beckett and the young man both climbed out. They took out the collection of buckets that the sailors had stowed underneath the seats.

Maris had to stay in the boat with the imposing figure of Davy Jones as the two men heaved the large buckets to the sea. They filled them with water and then dragged them back towards the boat so that Jones could go ashore. The buckets required relocating on several occasions. Maris found some amusement in the men struggling with the task. She did her best to ignore the... man who remained in the boat with her though she could feel his eyes on her.

Soon Jones judged that the position of the buckets was adequate and exited the boat and made his way ashore. Maris realised that it would be easy to strand the monster there by destroying the other buckets. Beckett distracted her from this train of thought as he approached and hooked his hand around her elbow and pulled her out of the boat. She winced as the rough wood scraped against her legs.

With a hand under her arm he all but dragged her to where Jones was standing in one of the buckets. Beckett and the other man– Turner –stood next to one another forming a line. They were staring into the distance and Maris following their gaze. Her eyes came upon the approaching three figures, one of which she recognised as her brother.

Barbossa was with him, and a woman who dressed like the pirates of the orient Maris had met once as a child. Barbossa was glaring at the man called Turner. Maris lowered her head and allowed her hair to partially cover her face in the hope that she wouldn't be noticed. It was foolish, she knew, but she was suddenly overcome with a sense of wanting to be anywhere but there. Not because she was prisoner and wanted to escape Beckett (which she very much did), but because she didn't want her brother to see her in these circumstances after such a long time apart.

"You be the cur that led these wolves to our door?" he growled.

This caused Cutler to shift next to Maris.

"Don't blame Turner, he was merely the tool of your betrayal. If you wish to see its grand architect look to your left" he responded and all eyes landed on Jack. He raised his hands in front of him,

"My hands are clean in this – figuratively..."

"My actions were my own and to my own purpose" the younger man standing next to Beckett defended. "Jack had nothing to do with it"

"Well spoke. Listen to the tool!" Jack replied

Maris was completely lost by the conversations taking place. What purpose? What betrayal? What had her brother become tangled up in this time?

"Will" the woman spoke, ignoring her male peers, with a concerned look on her face. "I've been aboard the Dutchman, I understand the burden you bear but feat that cause is lost..."

"No cause is lost if there is but one fool left to fight for it"

Beckett's sighed, annoyed by the change of subject,

"If Turner wasn't acting on your behalf then how did he come to give me this? You made a deal with me Jack, to deliver the pirates and here they are..." Beckett removed something from his pocket and threw it at her brother – a compass.

 _His_ compass.

Maris looked up and watched it arch through the sky before Jack caught hold of it. He looked sheepish as he played with it between his fingers.

"Don't be bashful, step up and claim your reward!" Beckett sneered but was interrupted by the monster to their left who had grown impatient.

" Yer debt to me is still to be satisfied. 100 years in servitude aboard the Dutchman as a start!" Jones growled and Maris couldn't help but flinch away from him. Her arm collided with Beckett who grabbed hold of her wrist so that she couldn't escape.

Barbossa caught her eye, raised a sceptical eyebrow and Maris felt her stomach clench. He'd always scared her as a child. Did he recognise her?

"That debt was paid mate, with help..."

"YOU ESCAPED!"

Her brother argued with Jones but Maris couldn't pay attention. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her mouth had gone dry. The uncomfortable grip that Lord Beckett had on her wrist was starting to hurt. She couldn't help but wonder what exactly she was doing there. Wasn't she part of some grand scheme?

"Technically – wait... what are _you_ doing here?"

Jack directed that question at her as though only just realising she was standing there. Maris looked up at her brother and noticed that everyone was looking at her now. She opened her mouth to answer him but Beckett interrupted.

"Maris has accompanied us here to convince you and your father that your intentions place the future of your family tree in great jeopardy. "

Maris frowned at the way in which Cutler had worded his explanation – as though she were there willingly. The woman standing next to Jack frowned as she looked Maris up and down before turning to throw Jack a questioning look. He ignored her but Maris had a feeling that they had a way of communicating without speaking – all of them. She felt like a total stranger.

"Didn't think kidnapping was your style, mate" Jack sneered, eyes never leaving Maris's face.

"I propose an exchange" the other woman interrupted, "Will leaves with us and you can take Jack."

"Done" Will agreed.

"Undone" Jack countered, looking at the woman who glared back with her eyebrows raised pointedly.

"Done" Beckett threw back, scowling.

Barbossa turned to the woman who had instigated the exchange, "Jack's one of the nine pirate lords, you have no right-"

"KING" the woman shot back. Beckett interrupted before they could argue any further.

"Advise your brethren. You can fight, and all of you will die... or you can _not_ fight, in which case only most of you will die"

Maris winced at his harsh words and closed her eyes.

"You murdered my father" the Pirate King, hissed back.

"He chose his own fate" Beckett countered

"And you have chosen yours. We will fight. And you will die."

"So be it" Beckett returned, "be sure that Captain Teague understands that both of his children accompany me-"

"-he already believes one of them t'be dead" Barbossa spat angrily.

Maris daren't open her eyes. If she opened her eyes then reality would slap her in the face, but she couldn't hide forever. Before long both parties retreated and soon Beckett was pulling her back to the boat. She pulled her wrist free of his grip and stomped past him, making her own way back. Jack was sitting where Turner had been and he was staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Well..." he muttered. Before he could say anything else he had little choice but to help row the boat back to The Endeavour. It was the last word the siblings would exchange before all hell would break loose.


	4. Chapter 4: Shipwrecked

He could hear a sobbing coming from somewhere behind him and he could hear the sound of waves hitting the shore. It didn't make sense as the last time he had gone ashore had been to face down Swan, Barbossa and Sparrow. He had returned to the ship after that.

Things had gone wrong for him. As he lay there he recalled the anger he had felt when Sparrow refused to surrender in exchange for his sister.

'Didn't think kidnapping was your style, mate' Sparrow had slurred. The pirates' eyes had gone to his sister whose wrist Cutler had been gripping to keep her at his side.

He'd seemed angry when he met his sister's gaze and Cutler had noticed that Maris squirmed when he spoke. Then Swan, as elected Pirate King, had called for them to battle.

It was coming back to him now...

They had gone to battle... but it had gone wrong. Everything had changed, it hadn't been a fair fight and The Endeavour had gone, so… why was he here? Where was here? Cutler groaned as he opened his eyes to bright sunlight. The sobbing noise stopped. He opened his eyes a second time and rolled onto his side with caution. He was lying on the sand, the crashing waves were in front of him and as he took them in he noted that debris littered the water. Twisted metal and large pieces of wood were lining the shore. His stomach sank when he realised they were probably from the Endeavour. Lying at his feet between him and the sea were his dark blue jacket and boots. He was wearing just his shirt and trousers and both were soaking wet.

The ship had gone – it was there in front of him in pieces, and he had ended up in the water. So how was he there? He sat aghast, staring at the driftwood for a moment before he remembered the sobbing.

He wasn't alone.

He turned, on bruised ribs and looked at the beach behind him where he came face to face with Maris.

She was shivering as she knelt a few feet behind him. The green dress that some of the crew had found for her was sticking to her thin body. Her hair sat plastered flat against her head and the sides of her face. He could see that her shivering lips were blue and salt crystals clung to her cheeks and clothes. He suspected they did to his too.

'I thought you were dead' she choked out finally, eyes wide as she stared at him.

'I... should be' he replied, wincing as the words caught in his raw throat. He coughed and felt panic welling up in his as he struggled to catch his breath but Maris approached him and brought a metallic canteen to his mouth.

'Drink' she whispered, tipping the flask and allowing cool water to fill his mouth. Cutler fumbled for the canteen with hands that he found were also shaking and took several more greedy gulps before Maris snatched it back from him. She sat on the sand to his left, her back facing the sea.

He glanced at her, a questioning look on his face as he gasped in the air that his lungs had been craving.

'If you gulp it down like that you'll make yourself throw up' she explained.

Minutes passed in silence before Cutler could stand it no further.

"What happened?"

Maris had been staring at the sand beneath her feet as she hugged herself to try and get warm. At his question her head snapped up with a look of shock on her face.

'You do not recall?'

Cutler shook his head and Maris swallowed, her eyes going back to the sand before she glanced back up at him.

'Well, all I could hear was fighting, screaming… explosions. The sea was ferocious. I could feel it. The ship lurched to one side and water began to fill the room you had me in. I thought I was going to drown. I could hear people outside the door running around, I screamed at them to help but nobody would open the door. It got up to my waist before a something smashed through the side of the ship and knocked the door through. The corridor was a mess. There was… there was blood, everywhere...'

Maris paused, swallowing, before continuing with her eyes closed this time. Cutler watched her, drinking in every inch of her face. He had forgotten about her below decks. They'd just left her there to die.

'The ship was going down. I could tell from the way it was lurching forwards but I managed to get to the stairs and up onto the deck well enough. That's where I found you." She opened her eyes and met his gaze.

"Just... you were standing there. With your eyes all closed up just... waiting to die. I ran past you at first, I was going to jump into the sea and take my chances but-'

'-but you didn't, did you? You turned back to help me' he interrupted her and closed his eyes as he realised exactly what had happened.

'I couldn't leave you there. I ran back and tried to reason with you but you wouldn't listen to me. You just grabbed me - you were saying something about _good business. Y_ ou wouldn't let me go and so I dragged you to the side and pulled you over with me.'

Cutler opened his eyes again.

'You lost consciousness when we hit the water. The ship just exploded, so I just kept dragging you through the water as much as I could.' She bit her lip and Cutler turned away from her. There was silence as it sunk in. A Teague had saved him. He closed his eyes and sunk back onto the sand with a groan of disbelief.

* * *

Cutler had sat exactly where he'd awoken, staring out to sea as Maris had moved around him and along the shore. He presumed she was exploring the island they'd washed up on. He knew it was the right thing to do, but he felt numb. Despite the voice at the back of his head telling him to take charge of the situation, he just sat there in silence.

It was when he heard the crackle of flames that he realised the clever girl had managed to start a fire. A small fire yes, but a fire nonetheless.

She was sitting next to it, her chin resting on her knees as she poked at the kindling with a thick stick she had found. As he took in her dishevelled appearance she glanced up at him as though sensing his eyes on her. They stared at one another for a moment and then she spoke.

'Always start a fire, Jack used to tell me. Get to safety and start a fire or you'll die." Nervousness crossed her face when he didn't respond.

"Are you okay?" she pressed.

She looked back at the sand when he didn't reply. As he continued to stare at her a strange and uncontrollable feeling spreading through him.

She had rescued him and was now rubbing it in his face. He was the man and she was a woman. He was a lord, for crying out loud! He had authority, not her.

He wasn't aware that he had climbed to his feet. An irrational rage burned through his mind and clouded his thoughts. Before he knew it he was standing in front of Maris. Her big eyes were looking up at him and they filled with fear as he tangled his left hand into her hair at the back of her head. She yelled as he pulled her up from where she sat on the ground leaving her legs twisted underneath her body.

He leant in so that his face was closer to her and roughly pulled her head back so that she had no choice but to look at him. One of her hands gripped his thigh as she tried taking the weight off of her trapped legs. Her other hand met his own in her hair, trying to prise his fingers away.

"Stop!'

"As if it isn't humiliating enough that you stopped me from going down with my ship. Now you're acting as though you have authority over me" he hissed.

Her hand scratched at his in an attempt to get him to release his grip on her hair. He responded by tightening his grip, causing her to cry out with pain.

'You're worthless.'

She lashed out at him, landing an awkward blow to his chest with her arm. He caught her wrist and pinned it between them, pulling her head back further with the hand in her hair. This caused her to overbalance. As she toppled backwards she pulled him forwards onto one of his knees. He ended up straddling her, with her back in the sand and his left hand pinning her right hand into the ground.

'Even your father wanted to kill you and your brother didn't care if I killed you. He had no idea what things I might do to you aboard the Endeavour and he still let me take you back. What use do you think you could be to me?'

She stopped struggling against his grip and stared at his chin, a frightened look on her face. Her hands lay motionless either side of her head, one of which he was still pinning into the sand. Her body trembled beneath him.

The rage that had overcome him was ebbing away fast. He became aware of the inappropriate position he had forced them into. He released his grip from her hands, sitting back so that he was no longer pinning her to the floor. Something he hadn't been aware he was doing.

Maris scrambled away from him, standing up and eyeing him like one might a dangerous predator.

"I'm sorry… I don't-"

He felt almost dazed by what had just happened, he wasn't sure what had come over him.

"I thought you were going to-"

"-no", he turned to look at her, sincerity in his voice as he addressed her, "I won't hurt you, Maris."

"You keep saying that" she accused, rubbing her wrist.

They stayed like that for some time. Her standing, not quite sure if he was going to strike again. Him sitting on the floor and looking at her, not quite able to look at her face. The two least likely allies who were hardly allies at all. Neither of them should have survived and yet sheer determination had brought them here.

"What's going to happen to us?"

Her question dragged Cutler from his thoughts and he realised he didn't have an answer.

'I'm not sure' he told her.

There was something about the honesty in his answer that reassured Maris. She took a couple of hesitant steps towards him and sat down on the ground. She turned her gaze towards the sea which had grown black with the night.

"Night time always seemed worse at Shipwreck. The dark sky made it feel like you're trapped there."

Cutler watched her as she spoke, unsure of whether she was addressing him or not. She was fidgeting with her hands.

"When I got away, the night sky became reassuring. It made it feel like there was so much space between them and me."

Neither of them said anything. Maris broke the silence once more,

"You look different without your wig" she pointed out.

Cutler frowned at her. He was trying to form plans in his mind but she was distracting him. Was she in shock? She must be in shock, but there wasn't anything he could do to help her.

"You should get some rest" he offered as a suggestion but she didn't move and he wasn't going to touch her again.

There were so many questions and he didn't like not having answers. He wondered if it would be the first of many nights they would spend there. Whether there might be enough crew members left to form search parties. How far from the wreck were they? Was it likely the Brethren would search for survivors? Were there other survivors, or was it just him and Maris?

...and did he really look that different without the wig?


	5. Chapter 5: Nineteen Days

Their time on the island was comically domestic. Cutler realised that his routines as a Lord had made him forget how much he enjoyed hard work. The pomp, the outfits, society gatherings, the ceremonies... did he miss it?

On that first night, the pair had slept on the sand near the fire for a small number of hours. Upon waking Cutler had known that they needed to adapt to their situation if they were going to survive.

Over the next few days, the two of them collected and dragged as much of the driftwood from the shore that they could. They set it high on the craggy rocks to the left of the small beach they'd arrived on. The larger pieces of wood that they couldn't lift were left on the sand as far away from the water as they could move it. It would become useful, he was certain. They placed some larger pieces against one another to create a shelter should they need it.

Maris had taken to foraging around for fruit and plants that they could eat. Cutler had set about collecting scraps of wood and kindling to create a stockpile for the fire. He covered it with large palm leaves to stop it getting wet or blowing away. Together they dug a hole with their hands to keep the food in - it was about four feet deep. They lined it with the torn up flag that Maris had kept hold of when they were in the sea.

"Why did you grab hold of it? Surely you're aware that material doesn't float?" he'd mocked but she'd just ignored him.

Exploring the small island they were stuck on was an inevitable task. Yet there was a reluctance to leave the perceived safety of the beach. Cutler planned to leave the girl there for her own safety but she wouldn't have it.

"I insist that you stay here so that should I encounter anything dangerous you will not get hurt."

His voice was curt and it usually sent people scrambling away to follow his orders but not her. Never her.

"It's a funny time for you to start worrying about my well being" she pointed out. She raised an eyebrow at him while kicking at the wet sand with her toes.

"I'd rather come along and die by your side than wait here to die. And as romantic as that might sound don't get your hopes up" she added after he opened his mouth to make a snide comment. "If we're going to die because of some hidden danger then don't you think it's only fair that you don't prolong my death by playing the hero?"

He could feel his face growing red at her comment.

"I'm not getting my hopes up and I am not playing the hero" his voice was calm. Although he'd tried to mask the anger he felt rising inside it was still clear in his voice.

Maris sighed. She and walked around him, bending down she scooped up a large tree branch from the pile of firewood. Cutler watched as she tested the weight of it before turning to face him. She leant it against her shoulder as you would a club.

"You can lead the way if that makes you feel better" she added when she discovered him staring at her.

That was how they found the small spring.

Cutler stopped in his tracks when he came across it. Maris had walked into him before ducking under his outstretched arm. She stood at his side with his arm was draped over her shoulders as he held back the bushes beside them. It was a beautiful scene that greeted them. Water trickled down from somewhere between the twisting rocks that formed much of the island. It flowed over rock after rock until it ended in the small pool surrounded by large fawns and tall trees.

"Luck must be on our side" Maris commented but Cutler didn't respond. Instead, he took a few steps forwards until he reached the edge of the water and bent down. He scooped some of the water up with his hands before cupping it into his mouth.

It was refreshing if warm. The temperature didn't bother him for at that moment it was the most delicious water he'd ever tasted. He reached for the empty canteen at his side and began to fill it. Maris followed his lead and took water in her own cupped hands. Later that same day they had both returned to spring alone to bathe in privacy.

He would have enjoyed his days on the island if the tragic loss of the Endeavour wasn't hanging over him. Add to that the defeat by the Pirate Lords and the fact that the woman he had ordered kidnapped from her home was with him... As it was he couldn't get rid of the black cloud that seemed to follow him around. Cutler longed for rescue, but at the same time, he didn't want to leave the island and face reality quite yet.

And so, secretly, he took joy from bathing alone in the spring. He enjoyed collecting what he felt would be useful for survival and sleeping under the stars. He particularly liked it when thunder rumbled on the horizon. He wouldn't admit it but he also began to enjoy speaking to Maris Teague. She was not like her brother at all.

The snippets he managed to drag out of her offered quite the insight into her family life.

"I was training to be a midwife. He and his wife took me in after my father... you know. It was special to see a person in the first few seconds of their life" she had told him.

It had been a rainy afternoon and they had taken shelter under some short palms. Maris was lying on her side with her head resting on her arm. Cutler sat with his back against the trunk looking out at the moody sea.

"Do you think you will ever be welcome back at Shipwreck?" he asked after a moment of silence.

She didn't reply and he thought that perhaps she was falling asleep. When he looked down at her she was looking up at him with an unreadable expression.

"No" she responded a moment later, glancing back at the sea.

"Why not?" he pressed, curious and she sighed before sitting up.

"I decided a long time ago that I never wanted to go back, but if I changed my mind I do not think I would be welcome. Not after Jack allowed you to take me back to the Endeavour as he did."

"Why do you think he allowed me to take you?"

Maris turned to look at him at that question. She searched his face as though the answer to his question might be there somewhere. As though he might know and was testing her.

"You tell me" she replied, and when he didn't respond she frowned.

"Do you know?" she prompted and he shook his head.

"In all honesty, I believed he would at least draw his sword to defend your honour or to rescue you. Not join you and allow us to separate you" he replied, an eyebrow rising as he spoke.

A thought occurred to Cutler then as the two returned to one of their silences. Perhaps Jack Sparrow thought that he and Maris were allies? He recalled the anger in Jack's glare as Cutler had held Maris by the wrist. Sparrow had even tensed when Jones had startled Maris and she had moved closer to Cutler. Perhaps Jack Sparrow thought that Maris had betrayed him?

That was interesting...

And then on the morning of day nineteen, something appeared on the horizon that drew closer and closer. Cutler realised it was a boat after he'd raised his hand to his brow to shield his eyes from the bright sun. Maris was bathing and he didn't know whether to alert her or to stay on the shore. He opted to remain on the shore so that their presence shouldn't be overseen. A sense of dread filled his stomach and he realised that he wasn't ready to go back.


	6. Chapter 6: Scavengers

Cutler hadn't noticed the malice on the faces of the three men soon enough to react. That was how he found himself sprawled out on his back in the sand. One of the men (the leader of their group he presumed) had a sword pressed to the hollow of his throat.

"Look what we got 'ere, fellas", he sneered.

"He's Navy, Jim. Look at his clothes" the smallest one replied.

"I know" the man with the sword- Jim -hissed back at him over his shoulder.

"How many of you are there?" he asked as he pressed the weapon further into Cutler's throat. Cutler had to shimmy backwards to stop it from harming him.

"It's just me," Cutler lied. He hoped that Maris wouldn't return anytime soon. He knew what these men would do to her.

"I reckon he's lying, boss" the third man piped up, "should go for a hunt, I reckon."

Cutler looked up at the leader and met his eyes. They were cold, calculated, and he was forming a plan. What these men wanted he didn't know. He guessed they were here just to take whatever they could find. Cutler tried his hardest to not let his worry show on his face lest it gave his lie away.

"No," he replied after a moment's pause. "Search the shore fer now, see what's here" Jim ordered.

The third man to have spoken began moving around the fire pit. He was sorting through the various things that they had collected for use over the weeks and kicking it around when he decided that it was of no value. He soon found the food store and began pulling the contents out, throwing it all across the beach into a mostly-ruined pile in the sand.

"What're you doing here all by yer lonesome?" Jim asked, his eyes boring into Cutler's.

Cutler swallowed.

"The ship I was on was wrecked. I ended up here," he replied, figuring that a half truth was better than nothing.

"an' you pulled all these large bits of wood out there on yer own did'ya?" the slimmer man, who was still stood behind Jim, asked in an accusing tone.

"Yes," Cutler replied, all the while avoiding Jim's eyes.

A sudden movement in the corner of his vision caught his attention. He noticed that Maris had returned to the shore and was using the large pieces of the Endeavour wreck as cover. Her hair was tied up in a knot at the back of her head and, barefoot, she was approaching the man who was sorting through their camp as quietly as possible.

"It was quite a struggle, as you can imagine. Shame for it all to go to waste though" Cutler piped up, attempting to keep the other two men distracted.

"I thought I could use it for firewood in the end, if not for something else" he continued. This resulted in more pressure on the sword at his throat. He felt it slice the skin causing blood to trickle down his neck.

"Shut up" Jim hissed.

Maris was right behind the other man now and held a thick branch in her hands like a club and without a second thought she raised it over her shoulder and brought it down against the man's head with all her strength.

The man hadn't stood a chance and he went flying, unconscious, and head first into the food pit. The crunching sound he made as he fell caught the attention of the other two men who both turned to look at Maris.

"Knew it!" the slim one yelled as he wasted no time and ran towards her. Maris responded by turning her weapon in an upwards swing but the man caught the club in his hand. He grinned maliciously as he wrestled with her for it.

"Hello, pretty" he growled at her.

He pushed hard against the club and Maris went flying into the sand as a result. Cutler knew he had to act now or they would both be killed and so he pushed himself off of the floor and grabbed the hilt of the sword. Cutler was surprised that he'd managed to pull the move off, but his surprise was no match to the look of shock upon Jim's face as he turned to face Cutler. Cutler took the opportunity and barged unto him with his shoulder with all his might. The older man staggered backwards, trying to regain his balance and it was all the time that Cutler needed to right the sword before he plunged it through the man's body.

"Pirate filth" he muttered as he pulled it back out and the man slumped to the floor.

Meanwhile, Maris had put up as good a fight as she could but her assailant was stronger than her. She had climbed to her feet intending to put the fire pit between her and her attacker but before she could move far he kicked her legs out from beneath her. Her back hit the sand hard, winding her. She could hear the blood rushing through her head, it overpowered the other sounds around her as she tried to catch a breath.

Before she could react the man had lunged forwards and was holding the club against her throat. He was pushing down on it just hard enough that she had to stay still to breathe. She closed her eyes in fear.

"Open your eyes," he ordered as one of his hands reached beneath her dress. She pushed his roaming hands away with her own. She tried to pull her dress back down but he was using his whole weight to pin her in place. He placed his knees between her own and forced her legs apart. Maris' struggle against his grip increased.

"I always like it when they fight back" he hissed, his face close to hers. His awful breath washed over her face and Maris tried to turn her head away. Suddenly he stopped his attack but he didn't move away. Maris opened her eyes to discover Cutler standing over the man with a sword held against his throat. The fury on his face was unlike anything she had seen before.

"Unhand her," he ordered in a calm voice that didn't match his body language.

The man moved off of Maris and held his hands out to his sides in surrender. Maris scrambled away from him and climbed to her feet. Her hand went to her throat where the club had been and she massaged the sore skin as she took deep breaths to fill her starved lungs.

"Easy now," her attacker said, turning his head to look at Cutler, "it was just a bi' o'fun" he teased.

Without warning Cutler brought the hilt of the sword down on his head and the man sunk onto the ground in front of him. A trickle of blood congealed in the sand beneath him.

Cutler turned to find that Maris was observing him through wide eyes. She was trembling but he wasn't surprised.

"Well done for sneaking up on them like that," he said, breaking the sudden silence. Maris just nodded before turning to observe the men scattered on the beach.

Cutler raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. The small row boat the men had used to come ashore was still perched on the sand a little way down the shore.

"We're going to take their ship, aren't we?" Maris asked as she followed his gaze. Cutler tore his eyes away from the vessel moored further out from the shore and looked down at the woman.

"Are we going to leave them here?" she asked as she looked around at the unconscious men.

"If you had not returned to the shore when you did... If you had not attacked that man, they would have killed me and then when they found you they would have-"

"I know" Maris interrupted, "daughter of a pirate lord, remember?" she pointed at herself with the thumb on her right hand and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. He noticed that her hands were still shaking but he didn't mention it. He just nodded his understanding.

They both turned back to look at the ship. Then, after a moment, the two of them began to move down the shore towards the rowing boat. Neither of them looked back at the camp that had been their home for so long because deep down neither were sad to be leaving it behind. The strange men that had attacked them were welcome to it.

* * *

 **A/n:** Thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story so far. I am writing it in between working and studying and it's progressing (slowly but surely), and each review is a bit of encouragement to continue. I am sorry to disappoint those of you who believed Jack was on the ship that Cutler spotted in the last chapter. Fear not, though, Jack is coming...


	7. Chapter 7: In The Brig

a/n: It has been a while since I updated and I can only apologise. I have seen the favourites and follows coming in and vowed to continue but I haven't had a chance. By way of apology I am uploading the next two chapters- this one and chapter 8 -and I have the rest of the story sort of mapped out. I'm hoping I can get it finished between now and October when my studies resume.

* * *

Cutler was confident that there wasn't anyone aboard the small ship from the way in which it was allowed to lurch backwards and forwards as waves bashed against the hull. Anyone aboard would at least ensure the ship remained steady while anchored which suggested to him that the men on the shore had left it empty. Even so, Cutler checked the sword was still stashed in his belt as they slowly brought the rowboat to the side of the ship. Just in case. He caught hold of the makeshift ladder which had been left to hang over the side of the ship. It was made from rope and fragments of ripped material knotted together and he wasn't confident it would hold their weight for too long. Maris was sitting in the centre of the rowing boat and Cutler twisted his torso slightly to observe her over his shoulder.

"I shall board. Try to hold the rowboat steady using the oar on your left and once I am on board you should follow and I will hold the rope steady. Do you think you can?"

Maris tucked damp hair behind her left ear and nodded. She braced the sides of the boat with her feet and took up the oar with both hands in a determined fashion. Cutler wasted no time in moving up the ladder and he was surprised at how easily he was able to pull himself up. Being on the island had obviously resulted in his gaining muscle he didn't have before. His foot slipped a couple of times on the slick material but he held steady and was soon aboard the vessel. He couldn't see any sign of people on board unless they were below deck, but he figured that if this was the case they would at least encounter them a little later. He turned back to the side of the ship and leant over the railing to look down at Maris.

She was struggling slightly to keep the boat alongside the ship and was standing in an effort to lever the oar effectively. Cutler was forced to watch on helplessly as a large wave barrelled into the boat and snatched the oar from her hands. Maris toppled over and landed awkwardly on her back as the boat began to drift away from the ship. Cutler opened his mouth to shout a warning at her but it seemed that the young woman was already on the case. She'd managed to regain her footing within seconds of being knocked over; she was eyeing the distance between the boat and ship and then, before Cutler could shout for her to not be so careless, she leapt from the small boat and towards the ladder with all of her might just as another wave barrelled into the ship and the row boat. Cutler looked away, sure that she would fall to the waves below and be dragged beneath the ship.

Yet, moments later, the material tied around the railing at his side began to move and he peered down to see Maris slowly pulling herself up towards him. She struggled to maintain a grip and when she was within reaching distance Cutler unceremoniously pulled her up the rest of the way and watched, bemused, as she flopped dramatically onto the deck. He simply stood observing her, with a hand on his hip. She was laying face down on the deck breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath. After a moment or two, he pushed herself off of the deck and sat facing him. There was a scratch on her cheek and there was bruising evident on her throat from where the pirate had strangled her but apart from that she seemed to have fared well, all things considered.

"I refuse to do that ever again" she informed him causing him to snort in response.

"I forbid you from trying" he replied, wiping the grime from his hands onto his trousers, his nose wrinkled with disgust at the sensation. He then wasted no time before moving across the deck towards the helm.

"Is there really nobody on board?" Maris asked from over his shoulder as he followed him."It appears not, but below deck could offer an altogether different story" he pulled the sword from his belt as they came to stop in front of a doorway which Cutler presumed led to the belly of the ship. Maris stood behind him slightly as he pulled one of the doors open. It moved on extremely noisy hinges which would most certainly inform anybody below deck of their presence.

"Stay behind me" Cutler whispered as he started to descend the steps.

"Age before beauty" Maris whispered back but he chose to ignore her in favour of paying close attention to what lay ahead of them.

There were four cannons lined up to their right, pointing towards hatches in the side of the ship that were latched shut. In the centre of the open space in front of them was a cube-shaped frame of wood from which large nets were hanged to create off-ground storage. There was a large bundle of rope on top of the net and what looked to be a bundled up sail material. Beneath the net and around the frame sat barrels and crates. Some of the crates were damaged and empty – no doubt looted upon command of the ship being taken by the men who had attacked them.

They slowly moved past this storage space and found a partition of sorts beyond this, which seemed to house two private rooms or offices. There were no doors in these walls and it was clear that both spaces were empty. There was also another set of steps which led down one level further. Down here were more rooms, no doubt for the crew. Cutler moved ahead and inspected the dark space to see if anyone was hiding from them and Maris made to follow him but was stopped in her tracks by a noise. It sounded like someone coughing from behind the door to her left.

" _Cutler"_ she whispered in an attempt to gain his attention discreetly, but he either didn't hear her or was still ignoring her. Maris sighed and opted to look for herself. She carefully reached out towards the wooden door and pushed it open. The door revealed a larger room which housed cages made of dark iron beams which ran from the floor to the ceiling. They lined the walls creating a space in the centre of the room.

Maris gasped as her eyes landed upon the cage furthest from the door.

* * *

The floorboards under his feet creaked as he moved through the darkened sleeping quarters and he hoped that if anyone was hiding in here they wouldn't know his location as a result. Cutler stepped as lightly as he could to avoid making further noise, though the more he moved through the space the more convinced he grew that he and Maris were alone on the ship. Suddenly, from behind him, Maris called his name. He turned in time to see her disappear through a door and he moved towards her.

"Maris, I really think we should stay together until we're certain that-" the words disappeared from his lips at the sight that met his eyes.

"You must be joking," he said, just as the same words spilled from the mouth of none other than Jack Sparrow who was held behind black iron bars at the far side of the room. Behind him, on the floor, lay a larger, older man who appeared to be asleep

"Is that really you, Maris? Am I hallucinating?" he asked groggily, eyes squinting in the dull light of the brig.

Maris hesitated for a moment; she glanced at Cutler before snatching up the ring of keys hanging from a hook which stuck out of the wall next to the door. Cutler's hand went to the hilt of the sword which was tucked through his belt as the young woman tested each key before she found the one which fit the lock on Jack's cage. The door was rusting and it squeaked noisily as it opened but the noise was drowned out by the surprised yelp which escaped from Maris as her brother engulfed her in an almost panicked embrace, pulling her close to him and screwing up his face.

"I can't believe you're alive!" he gushed, his hands gently patted the back of her head before coming to rest on her shoulders. "It's so good to see you, I thought you were gone" he enthused, but the touching moment was cut short as Maris brought her fist up and punched him clumsily on the cheek, causing him to overbalance.


	8. Chapter 8: A Great Irony

Cutler was surprised when Maris punched her brother with such force that he staggered backwards and onto the floor. He watched on in utter shock as Maris reined unrelenting blow after unrelenting blow upon him as he struggled to get to his feet. She was sobbing as the older man who had been imprisoned with Jack- Gibbs his name had been revealed to be -had grabbed her around the waist and literally lifted her away from Jack. Cutler had snapped out of it then and had drawn his sword and demanded that the older man unhand Maris. That hadn't been a good move and that was why both of his wrists were now bound together and tied to the heavy table in the galley of the ship where he was forced to watch at the siblings argued. Gibbs was standing over him with his hand on his sword.

Maris kicked an already-damaged barrel and grunted angrily before slamming her hands down on the table in front of her.

"You do not get to do this, Jack!" she yelled, her arms flailing in the air wildly. The hair which had been relatively tidy on her head was now framing her face in a wild mane.

"Have you gone insane?" Jack asked his sister as she marched around the room angrily. "Do you not see the predicament you are in? This man kidnapped you from your bed! He would have allowed you to die, and for some insane reason you want to defend him?"

"It's not like that!" Maris snapped back, coming to stand toe-to-toe with her brother. "I swore that I would never return. Ever! And you're going to make me!" She shoved her brother at that, but instead of retaliating he simply held her arms at her sides with a hand on each shoulder.

"It's for the greater good, Maris. The world is in turmoil out there. The navy and company are losing control of their ports and newly emerging pirate crews are staking their place in the seas and it isn't safe for you-"

"-why does everybody seem so determined to know what is right for me when it is they who keep putting me in danger?"

Maris started to cry then. She turned away from the three people in the room with him and her shoulders were shaking as she raised her hands to her face to hide them from the men in the room with her. Jack slowly approached his younger sister and placed a hand on her back, replacing it when she shrugged him off. Maris allowed him to hold her as she cried into his shoulder. From over the top of her head, Jack nodded at Gibbs who, sword drawn, untied the rope holding Cutler to the table and instructed him to stand up. Cutler did as he was instructed and they began to move towards the doorway. Their movement must have caught Maris' attention for she turned to look at him and Gibbs from over her shoulder.

"Beckett will be in the brig to avoid any funny business" Jack explained, as though sensing her unspoken question. Gibbs not-so-elegantly shoved Cutler and forced him from the room at that, and Cutler stumbled into the corridor. There was no point fighting – he didn't even have the ability _to_ fight as his weapon had been taken from him, and besides he hardly had the energy. Instead, he allowed himself to be locked into one of the cages where he stood, silently watching as the man called Gibbs smugly took his time strolling back across the room with the keys swinging around his in his hand before he placed it on the hook.

"No funny business" the older man instructed sarcastically before slamming the door shut behind him. Cutler waited for a moment to ensure the man wasn't coming back before sliding down the wall and onto the floor. Closing his eyes he played Sparrow's words over in his mind. The company was losing its stronghold which wasn't good news. He could imagine the casualties that had been suffered during their defeat but he didn't understand why those now in power until he returned were not picking up the pieces so as to stop pirate fleets from gaining numbers. It wasn't supposed to happen like that.

* * *

Jack and Gibbs were talking to each other at the wheel and Maris was sitting with her back against the ship's mast, facing away. It beggared belief that of all the ships by which to get captured while trying to commandeer a ship her brother managed to get captured by the one which came across the one island on which she was stranded.  
Maris was glad to see Jack, of course. She didn't know if he had been killed during that awful battle, but as he explained everything to her it became apparent that he'd wanted to be taken back to the ship with her, Beckett and Jones so that he could get that stupid heart and, when everything had gone to hell he'd just not been able to find her.

The topic of what would happen to her if she ever did get off of that island had also played on her mind the entire time that she was stuck there was Beckett. Would she go back to live with Dr Moore and his wife where she had been living as she trained under Doctor Moore to become a midwife? She didn't see how that was possible, but to return to Shipwreck? She hadn't seen that coming – it hadn't even entered her mind as something which was possible. And yet here she was, sailing slowly but surely towards her father. They were sailing under a beautifully blue sky but Maris felt cold at the thought of seeing _him_ again. She shivered and pulled the shirt sleeves down so that they covered her arms fully. She was wearing men's clothing which Gibbs had found for her in the belly of the ship. She wondered momentarily what had become of the man they originally belonged to. Was he the one she killed? Was he the one who Cutler killed to defend her?

Her stomach grumbled then and pulled her from those dark thoughts. She stood and made her way towards the helm so that she could go back into the hull.

"I'm going to eat something," she told Jack who was watching her from the wheel. He smiled and nodded his acknowledgement and she climbed down the stairs in search of food. The galley had all sorts of dried meats and fruits and Maris grabbed a particularly yellow banana to take back onto the deck before pausing. Had they fed Beckett? She grabbed a second banana and instead headed for the brig.

Cutler was sitting cross-legged in the corner of the cell they had him in. He didn't move when she opened the door and she wondered for a moment whether he was dead or simply sleeping.

"Cutler?" she whispered, not quite sure why she was whispering. He didn't respond and so she cautiously approached his cell.

"Cutler?" she asked a bit louder this time and he jolted awake causing Maris to jump. He had been sleeping. He looked up at her, clearly surprised that she was there.

"I- I thought you might be hungry," she told him, holding the banana out in front of her. He continued to observe her and Maris felt herself growing red under his gaze. She then realised that he wouldn't be able to get to the banana where she was currently holding it because he was obviously locked in the cell and so she moved closer to him.

"Are you?" she asked. In response to her question, he climbed to his feet and moved towards the bars of the cage so that there were mere inches apart.

"Yes," he replied, his voice hoarse. He took the fruit from her through the bar and lowered it to his side. There was so much that Maris wanted to say to him in that moment.

"I will make sure Gibbs brings you food tonight" was all that she could vocalise. Inwardly she cursed at how stupid she sounded. "Jack says that we will reach Shipwreck by tomorrow evening,"

"What then?" Cutler asked her. The eye contact he was maintaining with her made her feel incredibly awkward and the tension in the room seemed to grow at his question. Was he asking her about his mortality? Did he think she knew of some larger plan?

"I..." Maris found she didn't know what to say. She swallowed, "I don't know," she told him. Cutler simply blinked in response, his gaze fell to the scar on her shoulder briefly before he found her face again.

"Do you feel safe, Maris?"

"Yes," she answered, a little too quickly. "Jack won't let any harm come to either of us, I'm sure." Cutler laughed. It was a cold laugh.

"You underestimate your brother, Miss Teague" he replied curtly before moving away from the bars and turning his back on her. Maris took the hint. He didn't want to talk to her and he was angry. She made to leave the room but paused in the doorway, turning back to look at the stubborn man.

"What I mean is that if everything my brother says about the company and the pirates is correct then you are surely too valuable to simply be executed," she paused as a thought occurred to her suddenly. "There's a great irony here when you think about it," Maris continued. "When we first met it was I who was imprisoned. This may well be the last time we see one another and it is you who is imprisoned."

Cutler turned to look at the younger woman as she spoke but his face showed no emotion as Maris slowly walked back across the room towards him.

"When I was imprisoned my only crime was my heritage and yet the reason you are locked in this cage and being taken to the one place in the world where you are the sworn enemy is because of your actions and choices."

Maris came to a stop in front of the cell, her hands gripped the metal bars.

"You are the architect of your own betrayal" she whispered, throwing his words back at him. Cutler smirked in response to this.

"And pray, Maris, if our roles are to be reversed in this great irony of yours, will you keep me safe from harm?" his voice was low as he closed the distance between them. He reached out with his right hand and placed it on top of hers, catching her by surprise. She laughed.

"Alas," she replied, "I fear that we are both doomed."


	9. Chapter 9: Captain Edgar Black

A/n: Thank you to everyone who has subscribed or reviewed this story. It has prompted me to carry on. All of my writing was put on hiatus after the very unexpected and very traumatic death of my mum. I just couldn't focus on anything other than getting through things, but now it feels like the right time to carry on with my stories, and so here we are. This is a short chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Maris was seated in front of the ornate dresser that had once belonged to her mother. Her reflection stared back at her, and the feeling of hopelessness that felt within was clear to see on her face. There was dark kohl smudged delicately under her eyes, a hint of rogue along her cheekbones, and the women Jack had sent to assist her, painted her lips with a dark red colour. Her skin was much more tan than it had ever been before and when they'd applied powder to her face it had looked stupid and Maris had insisted it be removed. If she was to be paraded around, she refused to do so while looking like a child wearing makeup.

She was wearing a dress made of green silk with a skirt which flared out from her waist and hid her feet beneath. The gold stitching that created the tiny pattern in the bodice of the dress caught the candlelight and glimmered as she breathed. The colour of the silk reminded her the dress that she had been given aboard HMS Endeavour and this made her think of Cutler Beckett. Maris didn't know where he was or if he was even alive. They had arrived at Shipwreck six days previously, and upon disembarking they had discovered that her father was not present. The men had decided to send Beckett straight to the holding cells and Maris had last seen him being dragged away. The men taking him to his fate were far too boisterous and rough and although they verbally and physically abused him, Cutler hadn't responded once.

Now, her father had returned to Shipwreck with guests and a feast was to be held to celebrate the union of the old pirate clans with those who were newly emerging in the chaos that had been created after the defeat of the Endeavour. According to Jack, the Royal Navy had taken quite the beating when facing down the Brethren and it hadn't taken long for lawlessness to descend on the seas. Many sailors abandoned the Navy for the more profitable career of pillaging and looting. Although the Navy had managed to regain control of a number of ports, it was still chaos out there. Their father had ventured out to meet with one of the strongest new pirate captain's to have emerged among this chaos- Edgar Black -who led a fleet of ten ships who were undefeated by all they engaged with on the ocean. Their father felt that if he could convince Black to join the Brethren and to adopt the code, then others would follow suit which could only be good news for existing Pirate clans at this time of strength.

There was a knock at the door and it interrupted her thoughts. Maris remained seated but turned to face her visitor as the door opened. Jack stood in the doorway and behind him stood the man she had hoped to never lay eyes on again - her father. As their eyes met, a look of disbelief washed over the old man's face and his hand went to her brother's shoulder.

"Can it be?" he asked as he slowly made his way past her brother. His eyes were exploring her face as though looking for a flaw that would reveal her to be a cruel trick, but he found none and upon realising that she was indeed his presumed-dead daughter, he stumbled forwards and fell on his knees in front of her.

"My dear girl?" he asked, reached a hand towards her and gently cupping her face in a trembling hand.

"Yes, father?" she replied coldly. He inhaled and then, in one swift movement, he rose from the floor and enveloped her in a tight embrace, lifting her from her seat in the process. Over his shoulder, Maris locked eyes with her brother whose face pleaded with her to be kind. Inside, a storm raged as she remembered the cruelty and pain that this old man had inflicted upon her. As he ran his hand through her hair and repeatedly apologised in a strained whisper, all Maris could envision was sitting on the shore of the island with Lord Beckett and looking out at the night sky that kept her far away and safe from Shipwreck. Perhaps she had known even then that it was inevitable that the circumstances under which she had been marooned there would increase her chances of returning?

She was brought back to reality as her father pulled away from her and- holding her upper arms with each hand -he held her at arms length and took in her appearance. "You look so much like your mother" he remarked.

"Is the resemblance strong enough that you would strike me with your sword again?" she asked. There was no malice or venom in her voice. Just a stark reminder.

His face fell at this.

"Forgive me."

But she couldn't and so didn't respond. Thankfully, Jack chose this moment to interrupt the reunion. "Our guests are waiting. Perhaps we could carry on this heart-to-heart later?"

"Ah, yes. Maris, I think you will quite enjoy meeting Captain Edgar Black. He's quite the adventurer, just like your brother here, and has some fantastic stories to share…" her father spoke warmly as he led her out of the room with one arm lovingly wrapped around her shoulders. "We've arranged for there to be quite the celebration to welcome Captain Black to our home, and I am sure you'll do your best to make him feel welcomed."

They had entered the dining hall as he spoke and the festivities were already in full swing, with large groups of men and women gathered around the room drinking, singing and dancing. There was a commotion with a large group of pirates on one side of the room creating a lot of noise and being boisterous as others watched on, but Maris didn't pay them too much attention because she instead focussed on the main table ahead of them. Seated around the large table were a collection of men and women whom Maris recognised as The Pirate Lords, and sitting near the centre of the table was a man she had never seen before - Black, she presumed. To his left was her father's seat and to his right was hers. Black was watching her intently as they approached the table. He was strikingly handsome, just as she expected the devil himself might be in human form. Black watched as she was led around the table by her father and just before she took her seat, he rose from his and bowed before her.

"This is my daughter, Maris," her father introduced her.

"It's an honour to make your acquaintance, Miss Teague. You must take after your mother for your beauty certainly contrasts with the beastliness of your father."

Behind them, her father roared with laughter and slapped the younger man on the back. Maris smiled despite herself, "you're too kind, I'm sure," she replied as she took her seat. Once she was sitting down, the young Captain sat down too, but didn't look away from her.

Maris took in the room in front of the table and for the first time since she had entered the room, she noticed that the aggressive commotion she had heard upon entering the hall came from a collection of pirates who were shouting and swearing at a row of men lined up against the wall to the right on the hall. The men at the receiving end of this were chained together via collars around their necks, and each had his hands tied together in front of his body. Standing at the centre of the row was Cutler Beckett and he was staring right at her with a look of surprise on his face which Maris was sure was mirrored on her face, too.


End file.
